Football: Serra routs Mitty, wins share of WCAL title to qualify for CCS Open Division playoffs

SAN MATEO -- Before his team's West Catholic Athletic League showdown Saturday against unbeaten Archbishop Mitty, Serra coach Patrick Walsh never paid attention to his team's uncertain chances of making the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs.

He simply knew that a win would take care of everything.

"In my mind, because of the nature of the point system and how things are, there was really nothing to consider or think about -- we're going to be here or here," Walsh said. "Meanwhile, we have an opportunity to win a WCAL title. What we can control is right in front of us. What we can control is an opportunity to hang a banner in the Serra gymnasium forever."

The banner will hang forever after Hamilton Anoa'i caught three touchdown passes from Matthew Fa'aita and intercepted a pass to stop a first-half Mitty scoring opportunity in a 31-7 victory that left both teams with a share of the league championship.

But because Serra (8-2, 6-1 WCAL) won the head-to-head matchup it will receive the league's automatic berth into the Open and will probably be seeded second behind unbeaten Terra Nova. Mitty (9-1, 6-1) will receive the Open's fifth seed and will likely travel to Palma for a first-round game.

Serra built a two-touchdown halftime lead and put the game out of reach when Anoa'i, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament against Mitty last season, scored his third and final touchdown. The 69-yard reception extended Serra's lead to 31-7 early in the fourth quarter.

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"We knew we were a good team, but we were always beating ourselves," Anoa'i said. "We tried to cut down on our mistakes today, and I feel like we did a good job of that. Coaches got us well prepared for the game. We just came out and did our assignments."

Even before the clinching score, Anoa'i had done a lot to give Serra a comfortable advantage. After Vince Camp returned an interception deep into Mitty territory, Anoa'i pulled down an 18-yard throw from Fa'aita to make it 7-0.

The two teamed again later in the first quarter as Fa'aita rolled left and found Anoa'i for a 24-yard touchdown.

Mitty got back in the game briefly on a 66-yard pass from Trenton Scharrenberg to Tommy Hudson, who caught the ball over the middle and outran the defense to the goal line.

The Monarchs then drove inside the Serra 20 before two penalties moved them back to the 29. The series ended when Anoa'i intercepted a ball that floated into the air after another Serra player and a Mitty receiver wrestled for possession along the sideline.

"They went down, and the ball popped out," Anoa'i said.

Kevin McGee's 5-yard run late in the half stretched Serra's lead to 21-7, and Mitty never recovered.

Asked what he told his players afterward, Mitty coach Matt Haniger said, "I basically told them they showed up to play, and we hurt ourselves early as far as jumping offsides six or seven times, putting ourselves in a hole. But even considering we had played a pretty poor half of football, we had an opportunity where we were 30 yards away from tying it up.

"But they were very physical, and they did a nice job of putting pressure on us and creating turnovers."

Walsh had similar praise for his team.

"I think this was our best performance of the year -- against a very good team," Walsh said.